Monarch High School

English II

Mrs. Edna Jones, Instructor

     Welcome to English III!  I am excited to have you in class.  This course is designed to help you get the most comprehensive instruction in 11th grade Language Arts so that you will be successful on standardized testing and in post-secondary institutions.

    As we progress together through this school year, I am confident that you will gain as much as you contribute.  Below you will find the classroom policies and procedures. Please read over them with your parents. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.  The deadline date to receive credit for turning in the Parent/Student Acknowledgement Form is Jan. 23.

Course Descriptions

This course encompasses a variety of Language Arts skills including the speaking, viewing, writing, and reading of literary and informational texts.  Students analyze, synthesize, and evaluate a variety of prose and poetry; determine the authors' purposes and points of view; organize and interpret information; judge the validity of Internet and print sources; as well as compose and critique expository and persuasive compositions.  A primary objective of this English course is that each student exhibits knowledge in writing a comprehensive Research Paper and shows proficiency on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test through educational technology, interdisciplinary coursework, and project based learning for "real world" situations.

Classroom Policies & Procedures

• You must be in your seat before the tardy bell rings.

• You must remain seated at all times unless otherwise instructed.

• You must raise your hand to speak unless otherwise instructed.  When speaking you must not use profanity, abusive language, name-calling, wise cracking, insults, put-downs.  In addition you are expected to refrain from loud yawning, slamming books and rude sighing.

• You must bring your own materials daily including folder, journal, pen, paper, highlighter, thesaurus, and external drive.

• You must refrain from chewing, eating, or bringing food or drink into the classroom, whether containers are opened or closed.

• All work is due at the end of class unless otherwise instructed.

• Cell phones must be kept “off” and “out of sight.”
• All book bags, back packs, purses and tote bags should be stored underneath your desk during class.   Do not keep them on your desk, in your lap or on your person.

I.   Assignments

           A.  All assignments must be neat, legible, and kept neatly in your class folder in

                  chronological order. (Most recent date on top.)  Folders due on Mid term and Final

                  Exam Days.

           B.  All class work must be turned in at the end of class unless otherwise instructed.

                 Any attempt to turn in late  work will be refused unless prior written arrangements

                 were made with Mrs. Jones. 

           C.  Any work assigned in your absence can be made up.  This work is due the second

                 day of your return.

           D. It is your responsibility to check the Make-Up Work Folder and website for work

                that was assigned in your absence.  Upon completion, it is also your responsiblity to

                hand make-up work in on time whether or not the teacher asks for it.

           E.  All Make-Up Work Must Include the Date of Absence, Student's Date of Return

                and Assignment's Hand-In Date on the top of the first page of the assignment to

                receive credit.  No Late Make-Up Work Will Be Accepted.

            F.  All Make-Up Tests Are Given During Regular Class time.

            G. All handwritten assignments should be completed in dark blue or black ink only.

                 NO PENCILS ALLOWED except on scanned tests.

            H. Homework and class projects are accepted during the first five minutes of class

                 only. Any attempt to turn in work after collected will be refused unless prior

                 written arrangements were made with Mrs. Jones. 

             I. Because a timeline is given well in advance of any Research, Individual or Group

                 Project, no student will be granted extensions.  Be sure your work is here if you

                 are not.

             J. Because Monarch High School stresses Interdisciplinary Coursework, assignments

                 that relate across the curriculum will be assigned.

             K. Technology is an integral part of the English Curriculum.  All students will have

                 daily access to a computer.  Therefore, please adhere to the school’s and

                 classroom’s technology policies.

• L. All computer assignments must be saved to your external drive.  Remember, no late
•      computer work accepted.

II.  Consequences

            A.  All confiscated phones, ipods or other prohibited electronic devices will be turned

                  over to the administrator.  Parents may pick them up in the front office.

            B.  Each tardy constitutes one day of after school detention.

            C.  Use of profanity or abusive language is strictly prohibited.  Students will be

                  referred to the appropriate administrator.

            D.  Failure to serve detentions will result in further disciplinary action by an

                  administrator.

            E.  Should a student visit an inappropriate website, the computer will be

                  confiscated and a "0" given for that assignment.

            F. Sleeping in class could result in a "0" for the assignment.

II. Class Expectations

• For your safety, no passes issued except in emergencies. 

• During Cooperative Learning Activities, all students must exhibit 100% participation to receive 100% credit.  Peer evaluation may be an assessment component on some Cooperative Learning assignments.

• Students will complete at least one technology related project.  Since computer use is a requirement, students may use computers in the media center and/or in the classroom.  You are also able to check out computers for home use.
• All extensions to turn in assignments after the due date must be received in writing before the assignment is due.

• A student who receives prior written permission to turn in homework, class work, and/or class projects after the due date will have minimum of 20% deduction from that assignment.   Any attempt to turn in late work will be refused unless prior arrangements were made with Mrs. Jones. 

• No sleeping or putting your heads down on the desk.

Suggested Materials

All students must bring his/her own materials to class each day.  Because some students never bring materials to class, in fairness to all, students will not be allowed to borrow.  Violators will received a “0” and the work cannot be made up.

Students must bring to class daily the following items:

2 (two) – Two-Pocket/pronged paperback folder

1 (one) – Composition Notebook (Journal)

1 (one) -  Highlighter

1 (one) -  Thesaurus

2 (two) – Pens (Dark Blue or Black Ink Only)

1 (one) – Package – College Rule Notebook Paper

1 (one) – USB DRIVE

1 (one) - #2 Pencil

Research Project Materials - [Second Semester Only]

 One - 8 1/2 X 11 inch Plastic Portfolio

 One - 8 1/2 X 11 inch Legal Pad

 One Hundred - 4 X 6 inch Note Cards

 Thirty - 3 X 5 Inch Note Cards

 One Plastic Report Cover

 One USB External Drive

V.  Grading Scale

                                 90 -100  A

                                 86 – 89  B+

                                 80 – 85  B

                                 76 – 79  C+

                                 70 – 75  C

                                 66 – 69  D+

                                 60 – 65  D

                                 59–Below F

• Journals

• All students are required to do a journal writing assignment, answer an essential question, or respond to a short literary selection in their journals at the beginning of each class.
• Because journals will be collected on an unannounced basis, students must bring journals to class daily.

• Journal make-ups will be allowed if collected while a student is absent.

• Folders & Electronic Portfolios

• All handwork should be kept in a two-pocket, pronged, paperback folder.  In addition, all computerized work should be saved to a USB Drive.

• Both Folders & Electronic Portfolios will be checked periodically.  Please bring each to class daily.

• All handwork must be categorized and kept in chronological order with most recent date on top.

VII.  Textbooks & Resources

• Elements of Literature -  McDougal-Littel
• Writing & Grammar  - Prentice-Hall

VIII. Core and Related Works

   In Harmony With Nature- Native American Traditions: Mythology

“The World on the Turtle’s Back (24)

First Encounters: Cultural Diversity

“Of Plymouth Plantation” (81)

“Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” (93)

A New Cultural Identity: The Harlem Renaissance

Langston Hughes: “I Too” (924), “Harlem” (926), “The Weary Blues” (927), “When the Negro Was in Vogue” (932)

Toni Morrison: Thoughts on the African-American Novel” (973)

Zora Neale Hurston: “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” (950)

Naomi Long Madgett: "Alabama Centennial"

Between Heaven and Hell: The Puritan Tradition

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (152)

“The Examination of Sarah Good” (144)

“History Clashes with Commercialism” (150)

The Crucible (163)

The Dark Side of Individualism: American Gothic

“The Masque of the Red Death” (454)

“A Rose for Emily” (516)

“The Life You Save May Be Your Own” (528)

Danse Macabre (464)

Mark Twain: Autobiography (658)

“The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” (679)

Women’s Voices, Women’s Lives: A New Literature

Emily Dickinson: Poems (750-761)

The American Dream: Illusion or Reality

“We Wear the Mask” (835)

“Sympathy” (835)

The Great Gatsby

...And Other Notable Works

CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY POLICY

• Laptop computers must remain on the desks during use.

• Computers must be handled with care without knocking, dropping, or mishandling in any way.

• Laptops must be closed immediately upon teacher request.

• Students must remain in appropriate, lesson-directed computer sites at all times.

• All student work must be saved to student’s own USB drive daily.

• Students must return laptops to appropriate slots with the correct electrical cord connected.

TECHNOLOGY POLICY CONSEQUENCES

• First Offense – Students will be told to correct the problem and will be reminded of the Technology Policy.

• Second Offense – Laptop will be confiscated and a “0” will be given for the assignment.  Parent will be notified.

• Third Offense – Laptop will be confiscated and a “0” will be given for the assignment.  Student will be referred to administration.

Class Policies & Procedures Acknowledgement Form

I acknowledge that I have read and I understand the Policies and Procedures of Mrs. Jones’s English Class.

_____________________  ____     ____________________  ____

Parent Signature                                                                                Date                            Student Signature                                                            Date